The Big Chill
If you have not winterized your center yet, your running out of time.
The cool breeze of November is upon us, and while winter weather is usually good for business, since it gets our customers to think about indoor recreation, it requires us to make changes in how we approach maintenance.
Contacting your snow removal company before too much of the white stuff piles up can have a huge benefit. Start by determining how much snow needs to accumulate before its removal is needed. This allows you to schedule an automatic plowing of your parking lot if snow levels meet your predetermined quantity.
The location of speed bumps and parking blocks should be noted, and that information given to the snow removal service. If the weather is holding, you might want to fix potholes and large cracks in the pavement now before ice and cold digs them deeper.
Some centers have their own plowing equipment. This should be checked and ready to roll prior the first snowfall. Hydraulic lines should be inspected and repaired, as necessary.
Stock a supply of ice melting product. A method for distributing the ice melt should be discussed and implemented. Something as simple as a coffee can with holes in the bottom or a "whirlybird" style lawn spreader can save considerable money by dispensing the ice melt in an even pattern.
Locating your center's snow removal tools before too much of the white stuff comes down can keep tempers from flaring. No one wants to spend a cold, wet morning hunting for the snow shovel. Inspect the blade, handle and rivets for wear and tear. Replace if it looks like it might come apart under the load of a big scoop of wet snow.
The appropriate mats, placed on the floor inside of the doors, can capture a lot of ice and snow before it makes its way onto the concourse. A wet-dry vacuum can be used twice a day or more to keep the mats from becoming water-logged.
Keep an-up-to date list of league secretaries near the phone if blizzard conditions require the cancellation of league play. And do not forget to call the staff to keep them from venturing out onto roads when the center is closed or slow due to the weather.
By now you are probably seeing your energy costs spike up because of more expensive heating oil and natural gas. Do not be tempted to tweak your thermostat every time a customer complains about being cold. Remember, you are trying to heat a very large area. A change of just a few degrees can make the heating unit run for several minutes.
Your heating system needs to be operating as close 100 percent as possible. Dirty filters, clogged burners, loose belts, and bad heat exchangers can rob the unit of efficiency. Have your units checked now if you did not do it this fall.
The used of portable space heaters should be limited. While these units do provide a quick warm-up for a small space, they are also dangerous. Hundreds of fires each year are caused using space heaters.
The cost of heating a bowling center can literally go through the roof, if the insulation is old or has sagged away from the roof decking. Have your center inspected and reinsulated where and when it is needed.
Speaking of the roof, leaks should be addressed immediately. Th safety of both your customers and employees is at risk when water is dripping onto the floor. Have your roof checked in the autumn, to prevent a mid-winter disaster.
Your roof will bear the weight of the snow that falls. Most bowling center roofs do not have enough pitch to them allow the snow to slide off. If the forecast calls for an unusually heavy amount of snow, be ready to recruit some friends and shovels. By removing this extra weight, you just might keep your center open. Last winter, three centers were forced to temporarily close in Colorado due to sagging roofs.
Lane conditions will change with the arrival of colder air. The combination of a cold lane surface and the heating units cycling on and off, can make the lanes play differently.
The cleaning and conditioning supplies, as well as the machine used to dress the lanes; should be stored in a room temperature environment. Many lane conditioners are sensitive to cold, becoming thicker as the cold creeps into the building. Cleaners can be more effective when kept warm.
In many centers, the lane maintenance machine is stored next to an outside wall. This practice can lead to some very strange lane conditions. The settings that brought a great scoring pattern before are now producing unhappy bowlers. Another cold weather concern is the pinsetter area. Frigid temperatures behind the center can lead to early pin failure, slow operating machines (due to thickened oil in the gearboxes) and a cranky mechanic.
Maintenance is difficult enough to do, but when there is no heat on a frosty morning, it's almost impossible to get the motivation to touch a wrench. While it might seem like a costly luxury to some centers, the comfort of the maintenance staff should be a consideration. I have worked in back areas where a cup of coffee would freeze solid in a few hours. Trust me, I did the required work in a hurry!
By being prepared for the onset of winter, we can provide a safe, comfortable environment for our customers and employees. Paying attention to the weather can prevent major problems regarding every phase of the bowling business.
Watch your local forecast, consult the Farmer’s Almanac, and break out your thermal underwear. Winter is coming!